All Chapters of Ice In His Veins: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

The morning light was pale and cold. Eli woke slowly, his mind still heavy with sleep. For a moment, he forgot where he was. Then he saw Mack sitting in the chair by the window, watching the sunrise. He had been there all night. Eli sat up, his face was stiff from crying. His eyes were swollen. He felt vulnerable and exposed. “You stayed,” Eli said. “I said I would.” Eli did not know what to say to that. No one had ever stayed before. Mack turned from the window. His face was calm, but his eyes were empty and dark. “We need to talk about your brother.” Eli’s stomach tightened. “I told you enough last night.” “You told me something but you did not everything.” Eli looked away. The shame was back, hot and suffocating. “I have been gathering evidence on Daniel,” Mack said. “For months.” Eli’s head snapped up. “What?” Mack pulled out his phone and he opened the encrypted folder. He turned the screen so Eli could see. It contained bank transfers, text messages a

The morning after the police station, Eli woke with a heavy chest and a sour taste in his mouth. He had not slept well. The hotel room was dark, the curtains drawn tight, but a thin line of grey light crept through the gap. Mack was already awake, sitting in the chair by the window, his phone in his hand. His broad shoulders were hunched. Eli sat up slowly with gritty eyes and stiff neck. “You are up early,” Eli said. “Could not sleep.” Mack did not look at him. He stared at his phone, scrolling through something Eli could not see. The silence between them was thick, heavy with everything unsaid. Eli’s stomach growled. He had not eaten much yesterday. The adrenaline of the police station had killed his appetite but now he is very hungry. “We should get breakfast,” Eli said. Mack finally looked up. His grey eyes were tired, ringed with shadows. “In a minute. I want to talk to you first.” Eli’s stomach tightened. Not from hunger this time. “About what?” Mack set h

The first early morning practice happened because neither of them could sleep. Eli had been tossing for hours, Daniel’s latest threats scrolling through his mind. I have friends everywhere, little brother. The words were nonsense, he knew Daniel was just trying to scare him but Eli could not shake them. At five in the morning, he gave up. He pulled on his gear, grabbed his bag, and drove to the arena. The parking lot was empty and the sky was still dark. Eli let himself in through the players' entrance, his footsteps echoing in the silent hallway. He was not the first one there. Mack was already on the ice when he got there. He was skating slow laps, his head down, his stick dragging. He did not see Eli at first. Eli stood at the boards, watching him closely. Mack looked tired and stressed. His shoulders were heavy. His movements were sluggish but there was something peaceful about him too, something quiet. Eli stepped onto the ice. The blades scraped loud in the silence. M

The morning after the almost kiss, Eli woke to an empty hotel room. Mack’s bed was made and his bag gone. There was no note, no text, no nothing. Eli sat up slowly, his head thick with exhaustion and confusion. He had not slept. He had stared at the ceiling for hours, replaying the moment when Mack pulled away. You deserve someone who hasn't hurt you. Eli pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes. He did not want to think about it. He did not want to feel the ache in his chest. He showered, dressed, and packed his bag. The bus back to Seattle was quiet. Mack sat at the front, his back to Eli. Eli sat in the back, his hood up, his earbuds in. They did not speak to each other while the season continued. A week passed, one week turned two. The morning practices stopped. Mack stopped showing up early. He was polite, professional, distant. He answered Eli’s questions about drills, helped him on the ice when the coach asked, but nothing more. No coffee. No late night tal

The days after Mack’s confession blurred together. Eli went through the motions, practice, meals, sleep but nothing felt real. His mind kept circling back to the same impossible truth: Mack was his brother. Half‑brother. The man who had outed him, who had apologized, who had almost kissed him, shared his blood. He did not know how to feel. Angry? Betrayed? Relieved? All of it, none of it. Mack gave him space. They still trained together, still shared hotel rooms on road trips, but the easy rhythm was gone. Mack did not push. He did not bring up the confession. He just waited for him. Eli was grateful, furious and confused. ~~~~~ The Thunderbirds clinched a playoff spot on the last day of the regular season. The locker room erupted. Players hugged, shouted, sprayed champagne. Coach Marshall stood in the corner, smiling, his arms crossed. Eli stood in the middle of the chaos, a bottle in his hand, his teammates slapping his back. But his smile did not reach his eyes. Across th